Switch device

ABSTRACT

A switch device includes: a printed circuit board; a rubber sheet configured to cover the printed circuit board; an operating knob; an operating mechanism; an operating mechanism plate; and a housing having a side surface provided with an insertion hole, and a bottom surface provided with a discharge hole for discharging liquid entering an inside of the housing; and a back cover that is fitted from a back side of the housing and sandwiches an entire periphery of the rubber sheet with a stepped portion formed inside the housing. The printed circuit board is stored in a space between the back cover and the rubber sheet. The discharge hole is located in a lower portion of a space between an inner surface of the housing and the rubber sheet. A bottom portion exists between the discharge hole and the rubber sheet.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromJapanese Patent Application No. 2022-025307 filed on Feb. 22, 2022, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a switchdevice.

BACKGROUND

In the related art, there has been known a switch device configured witha printed circuit board having an electrical contact, an operatingmechanism for conducting and interrupting the electrical contact, and ahousing for housing them. For example, JP2004-281102A discloses acentralized arrangement switch aimed at centralized arrangement of theswitch. In this switch, a thin switch including a front sheet with adome-shaped protruding portion is provided on a surface of a switch knobto constitute a power seat switch of a vehicle as a centralizedarrangement switch. Since the power seat switch may be exposed torainwater or dust, it is equipped with a dustproof/waterproof boot usinga flexible sheet-shaped member made of rubber.

In addition, WO2020/121688A1 discloses a power seat switch that has anobject to suppress light emitted by a light-emitting body provided on aboard from leaking through a through hole of a cover without passingthrough a light-transmitting cover. The switch includes a housing, aboard provided inside the housing, a light-emitting body mounted on oneside of the board, and an elastic sheet covering one side of the boardand the light-emitting body and guiding light from the light-emittingbody. The housing has a through hole corresponding to one side of theboard. The elastic sheet has, on a surface of a part corresponding tothe through hole, a mirror surface portion for totally reflecting lightpassing through the inside thereof. In addition, the entire surface ofthe board is covered with a rubber sheet (elastic sheet) to improvewaterproofness.

In addition, JP2004-288393A discloses a power seat switch device for avehicle which is excellent in assembling and operability. This powerseat switch device includes a lower case, a wiring board housed in thelower case, first and second connector terminals connected to one end ofthe wiring board, first to fourth lever switches mounted on the wiringboard, first to fourth driving bodies individually disposed above eachlever switch, an upper case which is combined with the lower case andconstitutes a case of the switch device, a first operating knobconnecting the first to third driving bodies, and a second operatingknob connected to the fourth driving body.

In addition, JP2016-213120A discloses a rotary switch device that isfree from rattling and has a stable operation feeling. This switchdevice includes a switch member, a support body that stores the switchmember, an operating knob rotatably supported by the support body, aslider member that reciprocates as the operating knob rotates, and adrive member that drives the switch member corresponding to thereciprocating movement of the slider member. The support body has ashaft portion for rotatably supporting the operating knob, and theoperating knob has a shaft-side end portion provided with a bearingportion into which the shaft portion is inserted, and a rotation-sideend portion in which the slider member is connected without a gap. Aninner peripheral surface of the bearing portion surrounds an outerperipheral surface of the shaft portion with a gap, and at least one ofthe shaft portion and the bearing portion is provided with an energizingportion to energize the operating knob from the slider member toward theshaft portion.

In addition, JP2009-218064A discloses a slide operation type electricalcomponent in which a click feeling during slide operation can be setrelatively freely and an increase in size can be easily avoided. In thiselectrical component, a slider has a pair of ridge portions extendingalong a predetermined direction, and each ridge portion is inserted intoa guide path of a holding case so as to slide along a guide surface. Theridge portion is provided with a notch that is open on a protruding endsurface side thereof, and a steel ball that is elastically energized bya coil spring is in elastic contact with an inner wall surface of thenotch. A shape of the notch tapers from an opening end side toward aback side, and the steel ball engages and disengages from a click grooveformed at the deepest part of the notch to generate a click feeling. Thecoil spring is housed in a spring housing portion of the holding case,and this spring housing portion is provided so as to protrude from theguide path and to be continuous with the guide surface.

In addition, WO2020/255495A1 discloses an operating device including anoperating knob, an actuator, a first switch, a second switch, and aholder. An storing space of the holder has a first storing portion thatextends in a first direction, stores a first arm portion of theactuator, and guides the first arm portion in a pushing direction of thefirst switch, and a second storing portion that extends in a seconddirection, stores a second arm portion of the actuator, and guides thesecond arm portion in a pushing direction of the second switch. Thefirst arm portion or the first storing portion has a permitting portionthat avoids interference between the first arm portion and the firststoring portion and permits the actuator to tilt in the seconddirection, and the second arm portion or the second storing portion hasa permitting portion that avoids interference between the second armportion and the second storing portion and permits the actuator to tiltin the first direction.

SUMMARY

One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a switch devicethat enhances a waterproof function of a rubber sheet and facilitatesdischarge of infiltrated liquid.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, there is provided aswitch device including: a printed circuit board which includes anelectrical contact and on which an electronic component is mounted; arubber sheet configured to cover the printed circuit board, the rubbersheet having a rubber dome at a position corresponding to the electricalcontact; an operating knob configured to operate the rubber dome, theoperating knob being operable for turning on/off the electrical contact;an operating mechanism interposed between the operating knob and therubber dome, the operating mechanism being configured to transmit forceapplied to the operating knob to the rubber dome; an operating mechanismplate on which the operating mechanism is provided; and a housing havinga side surface provided with an insertion hole for inserting a part ofthe operating mechanism, the part of the operating mechanism beingconnected to the operating knob, and a bottom surface provided with adischarge hole for discharging liquid entering an inside of the housing;and a back cover that is fitted from a back side of the housing andsandwiches an entire periphery of the rubber sheet with a steppedportion formed inside the housing, wherein the printed circuit board isstored in a space between the back cover and the rubber sheet, whereinthe discharge hole is located in a lower portion of a space between aninner surface of the housing and the rubber sheet, and wherein a bottomportion exists between the discharge hole and the rubber sheet.

According to this, the discharge hole located at the bottom surface ofthe housing is located in a lower portion of the space between the innersurface of the housing and the rubber sheet and separately from therubber sheet so that the bottom portion exists between the dischargehole and the rubber sheet, thereby providing a switch device that keepsthe liquid away from the connection part (stepped portion) between therubber sheet and the housing, prevents the liquid from infiltrating fromthere, enhances the waterproof function of the rubber sheet, andfacilitates the discharge of the infiltrated liquid.

As described above, according to one or more embodiments of the presentinvention, it is possible to provide a switch device that enhances thewaterproof function of the rubber sheet and facilitates the discharge ofthe liquid entering the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a front view, FIG. 1B is a bottom view, FIG. 1C is aperspective view as seen from a front right upper side, and FIG. 1D is aperspective view as seen from a back left upper side of a switch deviceaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the switch device according to thefirst embodiment of the present invention, taken along the A-A crosssection in FIG. 1B;

FIGS. 3A to 3E are perspective views of the switch device according tothe first embodiment of the present invention as seen from a front rightlower side, FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing the whole, FIG. 3B isa perspective view in a case where an operating knob is removed, FIG. 3Cis a perspective view in a case where a housing on a front side isfurther removed, FIG. 3D is a perspective view in a case where a surfacepart of the housing is removed while leaving a discharge path and isseen from a front side of FIG. 3C, and FIG. 3E is a perspective view ofa rubber sheet and a printed circuit board with an operating mechanismplate further removed;

FIG. 4A is a bottom view, FIG. 4B is a perspective view as seen from thefront right upper side, and FIG. 4C is a perspective view as seen fromthe back left upper side of an assembly that is composed of the switchdevice and a cover according to the first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly that is composed of theswitch device and the cover according to the first embodiment of thepresent invention, taken along the B-B cross section in FIG. 4A;

FIGS. 6A to 6C are perspective views of the assembly that is composed ofthe switch device and the cover according to the first embodiment of thepresent invention, as seen from a back right lower side, FIG. 6A is aperspective view showing the whole, FIG. 6B is a perspective view in acase where a back cover is removed, and FIG. 6C is a perspective view ina case where the printed circuit board is further removed;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views of the assembly that is composedof the switch device and the cover according to the first embodiment ofthe present invention, as seen from the back right lower side, FIG. 7Ais a perspective view in a case where the rubber sheet is removed, andFIG. 7B is a perspective view in a case where the operating mechanismplate is removed; and

FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective views of the assembly that is composedof the switch device and the cover according to the first embodiment ofthe present invention, as seen from the back left upper side, FIG. 8A isa perspective view in a case where the rubber sheet is removed, and FIG.8B is a perspective view in a case where the operating mechanism plateis removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In embodiments of the invention, numerous specific details are set forthin order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However,it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that theinvention may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known features have not been described in detail toavoid obscuring the invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to drawings.

First Embodiment

A switch device 100 according to the present embodiment will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 1A to 8B. The switch device 100 ismounted on a vehicle, receives power supply from a battery of thevehicle, and performs on/off control of a motor that drives apredetermined part based on an operation of a user. The switch device100 has excellent water resistance, as will be described later, and isassumed to be installed in parts in which there is a possibility ofbeing exposed to rainwater or drinks, such as near doors and seatsinside the vehicle. The switch device 100 presented as an embodiment isa switch provided on a side surface of the seat on a side of a driver'sseat door for operating a power seat.

The switch device 100 includes a housing 10, a printed circuit board 20,a rubber sheet 30, an operating knob 40, an operating mechanism 50, anoperating mechanism plate 60, and a back cover 70. When seen from thefront, the housing 10 has a horizontally long, generally rectangularshape to fit the side surface of the seat, and has a thickness thatstores the printed circuit board 20, the rubber sheet 30, and theoperating mechanism plate 60 therein so as to be generally parallel tothe front. That is, the printed circuit board 20, the rubber sheet 30,and the operating mechanism plate 60 stored inside are placed verticallysuch that these planes are generally perpendicular to the ground whenthe switch device 100 is installed in the vehicle. A back surface of thehousing 10 is open, but after the contents to be stored inside arehoused, the back cover 70 serves as a lid and is closed. The switchdevice 100 is installed with the side of the back cover 70 facing theseat and the front side facing the door.

The printed circuit board 20 is mounted with electrical contacts 21,electronic components (not shown), and a connector 22 for electricalconnection with the outside. The electrical contact 21 typicallyconstitutes a part of a membrane switch, but is not limited to this. Forexample, a conductive material may be applied to a rubber dome to bedescribed later, and the electrical contact may be constituted toconduct by the rubber dome contacting the electrical contact 21 on thesurface of the board. The connector 22 is mounted facing a downwarddirection at a lower portion of the printed circuit board 20, whichmakes it difficult for the user to visually recognize and easy toconnect to the power supply and the motor. The electronic component usespower from the power supply to generate signals for driving the motor.

The rubber sheet 30 is a flexible sheet made of rubber that covers theprinted circuit board 20 and has rubber domes 31 at positionscorresponding to electrical contacts 21. The rubber sheet 30 covers notonly the planar printed circuit board 20 but also the connector 22provided so as to rise from the printed circuit board 20. The rubberdome 31 is provided at a position corresponding to the electricalcontact 21 provided on the printed circuit board 20. When the rubberdome 31 is pressed by the operating mechanism 50, which will bedescribed later, the rubber dome 31 is recessed to conduct theelectrical contact 21, and when the pressure is removed, the rubber dome31 separates from the electrical contact 21 by the elastic force andcuts off. The rubber sheet 30 covers all the connectors 22, electricalcontacts 21, and electronic components on the printed circuit board 20through which electricity flows, and prevents the printed circuit board20 from being exposed to water even in a case where the switch device100 is exposed to water.

A plurality of operating knobs 40 is provided on the front side fordriving a predetermined part of the driver's seat in a predetermineddirection. For example, one of the plurality of operating knobs 40 isused to move the seat surface back and forth and up and down, and theother one of the operating knobs 40 is used to move a backrest up anddown. Therefore, the operating knob 40 is often operated in an up anddown direction (D1 direction in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2 ), and this operatingforce is applied to the switch device 100. In a case where the operatingknob 40 is operated by the user, the movement is propagated to theoperating mechanism 50, and the operating knob 40 operates the rubberdome 31 via the operating mechanism 50 to turn on/off the electricalcontact 21.

The operating mechanism 50 has a connection portion 51 connected to theoperating knob 40, a slide portion 52, and a plunger 53 (FIG. 2 ). Theconnection portion 51 is exposed from the front of the housing 10through an insertion hole 11 provided on the side surface of the housing10 on the front side, and is connected to the operating knob 40. Theslide portion 52 is stored in the housing 10 and slides along with theoperating knob 40 in a D1 direction. The plunger 53 is a member thatchanges a moving direction of the slide portion 52 to its verticaldirection, that is, a direction perpendicular to the printed circuitboard 20 and the rubber sheet 30.

For example, in a case where the operating knob 40 is operated in adownward direction of D1 by the user, the slide portion 52 slides in thedownward direction along with it and pushes down a tip of the plunger 53located below (rightward in FIG. 2 ). The plunger 53 is configured suchthat in a case of being pushed down, the other tip abuts against therubber dome 31 and pushes it down, thereby turning on the electricalcontact 21 of the printed circuit board 20. In this manner, theoperating mechanism 50 is interposed between the operating knob 40 andthe rubber dome 31 and transmits the force applied to the operating knob40 to the rubber dome 31. Although not shown, the operating mechanism 50also has an elastic member that energizes the slide portion 52 in apredetermined direction, a member that generates a switch feeling, andthe like.

The operating mechanism plate 60 is a strong base on which a pluralityof the operating mechanisms 50 is provided, supports each operatingmechanism 50, and is configured to withstand the operating force appliedvia the operating knob 40. Although the operating mechanism plate 60 isattached to the frontmost side inside the housing 10, the operatingmechanism plate 60 has support portions 62 that are fitted into supportholes 14 provided on the top surface and bottom surface of the housing10 (FIG. 2 ), and thus, the housing 10 is firmly attached. As can beseen from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 , the front view of FIG.1A, and the bottom view of FIG. 1B, the positions of the supportportions 62 in the operating mechanism plate 60 and the operatingmechanism 50, and the positions of the support hole 14 and the insertionhole 11 in the housing 10 corresponding to them coincide in an operationdirection D1 of the operating knob 40 in a case where when seen from thefront side.

The support hole 14 is provided directly below the insertion hole 11through which the connection portion 51 of the operating mechanism 50,in which the operating knob 40 moves up and down and the slide portion52 moves up and down, is inserted. That is, with such a configuration,the force in the operation direction D1 applied to the operating knob 40disposed on the front of the switch device 100 can be firmly supportedvia the support portion 62 by the support hole 14 disposed directlyabove the insertion hole 11 on the top surface and directly below theinsertion hole 11 on the bottom surface, and the strength of theoperating mechanism 50 can be ensured. In the present embodiment, thesupport hole 14 is a hole penetrating the surface and an inner surfaceof the housing 10, but it may be a recessed hole that engages with thesupport portion 62 without penetrating.

In addition, the housing 10 has a discharge hole 12 on the bottomsurface for discharging the liquid entering the inside of the housing10. A position of the discharge hole 12 is shifted from a position ofthe insertion hole 11 in the operation direction D1 of the operatingknob 40. That is, the support holes 14 are provided on the bottomsurface directly below corresponding to each insertion hole 11, thedischarge holes 12 are provided between the support holes 14, and thedischarge holes 12 and the support holes 14 are alternately disposed onthe bottom surface (FIG. 1B or the like). Since the liquid may enter thehousing 10 through the insertion hole 11 through which a part of theoperating mechanism 50 is inserted, although it is preferable that thedischarge hole 12 is originally directly below the insertion hole 11, aswill be described later, by providing a configuration in which theliquid entering the housing is guided to the discharge hole 12, thestrength of the operating mechanism can be secured and the liquidentering the housing 10 can be easily discharged even in a case wherethe discharge hole 12 is shifted in the operation direction D1.

The housing 10 stores the operating mechanism plate 60, the rubber sheet30, and the printed circuit board 20 therein in order from the front,and the back cover 70 is fitted from the back side of the housing 10 andis closed. When the back cover 70 is fitted to the housing 10, it isfitted such that the entire periphery of the rubber sheet 30 issandwiched between the stepped portions 16 formed inside the housing 10(FIGS. 2 and 5 ). As a result, the printed circuit board 20 throughwhich electricity flows can be stored in a space between the back cover70 and the rubber sheet 30, and the printed circuit board 20 can beprevented from being exposed to water by sandwiching the entireperiphery.

The discharge hole 12 is located on the inner surface of the front sideof the housing 10, more specifically, in a lower portion of a spacebetween the operating mechanism plate 60 and the rubber sheet 30, andthe discharge hole 12 is provided so that a bottom portion 1A existsbetween the discharge hole 12 and the rubber sheet 30 (FIG. 5 ). Thebottom portion 1A is a part of the housing 10 and is provided betweenthe discharge hole 12 and the stepped portion 16. According to this, thedischarge hole 12 located at the bottom surface of the housing islocated in a lower portion of the space between the inner surface of thefront side of the housing 10 and the rubber sheet 30 and separately fromthe rubber sheet 30 so that the bottom portion 1A exists between thedischarge hole 12 and the rubber sheet 30. Therefore, the liquid is keptaway from the connection part (stepped portion 16) between the rubbersheet 30 and the housing 10 to prevent entry of the liquid from there,so that the waterproof function of the rubber sheet 30 is enhanced anddischarging the liquid entering the housing 10 becomes easier.

In addition, the housing 10 has a connector opening 17 on the bottomsurface, which is provided for external connection to the connector 22which is provided to face the downward direction at the lower portion ofthe printed circuit board 20. The connector opening 17 is provided onthe bottom surface with a predetermined distance from the discharge hole12. The predetermined distance is a distance at which the liquiddischarged from the discharge hole 12 does not splash into the connectoropening 17, and is appropriately determined. For example, as shown inFIG. 4A, the distance is such that the support hole 14 exists betweenthe connector opening 17 and the discharge hole 12. In this manner, thedischarge hole 12 and the connector opening 17 that are provided in thebottom surface of the housing 10 are disposed separately from each otherby a predetermined distance such as by disposing the support hole 14.Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid, which enters thehousing 10 and is discharged from the discharge hole 12, from enteringthe connector 22.

In a case where the liquid such as rainwater or drinks is splashed fromabove the switch device 100, it is conceivable that the liquid may enterthe housing 10 through the insertion hole 11 from the top surface of thehousing 10 along the side surface of the front side. The liquid enteringthe housing 10 through the insertion hole 11 flows into a space betweenthe inner surface of the housing 10 and the operating mechanism plate60. The liquid flowed into the space between the inner surface of thehousing 10 and the operating mechanism plate 60 flows to the sides ofthe bottom surface of the insertion hole 11 and the operating mechanism50 because the operating mechanism plate 60 and the printed circuitboard 20 are placed vertically when the switch device 100 is installed.

The operating mechanism plate 60 has a communication hole 61 thatcommunicates the space between the operating mechanism plate 60 and therubber sheet 30 and the space between the inner surface of the housing10 on the side surface of the front side and the operating mechanismplate 60, on the side of the bottom surface of the operating mechanism50 (FIG. 3C, FIG. 3D, and FIG. 5 ). The liquid flowed into the spacebetween the inner surface of the housing 10 and the operating mechanismplate 60 flows through the communication hole 61 into the space betweenthe operating mechanism plate 60 and the rubber sheet 30, and isdischarged through the discharge hole 12 that is provided on a bottomsurface of this space.

In addition, it is preferable that a discharge path 15 is provided in aspace between the inner surface of the side surface of the housing 10 onthe front side and the operating mechanism plate 60, which is on theside of the bottom surfaces of the insertion hole 11 and the operatingmechanism 50, to guide the liquid entering the housing 10 through theinsertion hole 11 to the communication hole 61. In this manner, thedischarge path 15 that guides the liquid entering the housing 10 throughthe insertion hole 11 to the communication hole 61 communicating betweenspaces of the both sides of the operating mechanism plate 60 is providedin the space between the inner surface of the side surface of thehousing 10 on the front side and the operating mechanism plate 60, whichis closer to the side of the bottom surface than the insertion hole 11and the operating mechanism 50. Therefore, when the switch device 100 isinstalled, in the switch device in which the printed circuit board 20 isvertically placed, the liquid entering the housing 10 can be easilydischarged from the discharge hole 12.

In the present embodiment, the discharge path 15 extends from the sideof the inner surface of the side surface of the housing 10 on the frontside toward the operating mechanism plate 60, and a tip thereof abutsagainst the operating mechanism plate 60. However, the discharge path isnot limited to this, and may extend from a surface of the operatingmechanism plate on the housing side toward the front of the housing, andthe tip thereof may abut against the inner surface of the housing. Inany case, by forming such a discharge path, the liquid that has enteredthe housing 10 through the insertion hole 11 is smoothly guided to thecommunication hole 61 and discharged from the inside of the switchdevice 100 at an early stage.

In addition, the liquid that has flowed into the space between theoperating mechanism plate 60 and the rubber sheet 30 through thecommunication hole 61 normally flows toward the discharge hole 12provided below, but the rubber sheet 30 has a part that covers theconnector 22 that is provided so as to rise from the printed circuitboard 20, so that it is preferable to guide it to the discharge hole 12from that part. As its configuration, it is preferable that the rubbersheet 30 extends toward the operating mechanism plate 60, the tip of therubber sheet 30 abuts against the operating mechanism plate 60, and therubber sheet 30 has a connector portion discharge path 32 that guidesthe liquid entering the housing 10 through the insertion hole 11 via thecommunication hole 61 to the discharge hole 12 (FIG. 3E). The connectorportion discharge path 32 has one end connected at a part of the rubbersheet 30 that covers the connector 22, extends to be inclined from theone end toward the discharge hole 12 provided on the bottom surface, andhas the other end 34 formed in the vicinity of the bottom surface. Theother end 34 is separated from the rubber sheet 30 that covers theconnector 22, and a gap 33 that does not cause capillary phenomenonexists between the lower end portion of the rubber sheet 30 that coversthe connector 22 and the other end 34.

In this manner, the connector portion discharge path 32 that guides theliquid formed on the rubber sheet 30 to the discharge hole 12 extendsfrom the rubber sheet 30 that covers the connector 22 toward thedischarge hole 12 in an inclined manner, and the tip thereof (the otherend 34) is separated from the rubber sheet 30 that covers the connector22, and a gap 33 exists between the tip and the rubber sheet 30 thatcovers the connector 22, so that it is possible to prevent entry of theliquid from the connector opening 17 of the connector 22.

It is preferable that a connector opening wall 18 extending downward isprovided around the connector opening 17. According to this, it ispossible to prevent the liquid discharged from the discharge hole 12from exceeding the connector opening wall 18 and entering the connector22. In addition, it is preferable that a discharge hole wall 13extending downward is provided around the discharge hole 12. Accordingto this, the liquid discharged from the discharge hole 12 falls furtherdownward, so that it can be prevented from entering the connector 22.

It is preferable that a raised portion 19 that rises upward is providedat an end portion of the top surface of the housing 10 on a side of theback cover 70 (FIG. 2 , FIG. 5 , FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B, and the like). As aresult, this prevents the liquid from coming around from the backsurface side and entering the housing 10.

In addition, the switch device 100 may be provided as an assembly 1together with a design cover 200 that is attached to the switch device100, exposes the operating knob 40 from the front surface, and covers atleast the top surface and the front surface of the switch device 100(FIGS. 4A to 8B). Accordingly, this provides an assembly 1 that isaesthetically pleasing and prevents liquid from entering the inside thehousing 10.

The present invention is not limited to the described embodiments andcan be implemented by a configuration within a range that does notdepart from the content described in each section of the claims. Thatis, the present invention is mainly and particularly shown and describedwith respect to a specific embodiment, and those skilled in the art canmake various modifications in the quantity and other detailedconfigurations with respect to the above-described embodiments withoutdeparting from the scope of the technical idea and the objects of thepresent invention.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of thisdisclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised whichdo not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein.According, the scope of the invention should be limited only by theattached claim(s).

1. A switch device comprising: a printed circuit board which includes anelectrical contact and on which an electronic component is mounted; arubber sheet configured to cover the printed circuit board, the rubbersheet having a rubber dome at a position corresponding to the electricalcontact; an operating knob configured to operate the rubber dome, theoperating knob being operable for turning on/off the electrical contact;an operating mechanism interposed between the operating knob and therubber dome, the operating mechanism being configured to transmit forceapplied to the operating knob to the rubber dome; an operating mechanismplate on which the operating mechanism is provided; and a housing havinga side surface provided with an insertion hole for inserting a part ofthe operating mechanism, the part of the operating mechanism beingconnected to the operating knob, and a bottom surface provided with adischarge hole for discharging liquid entering an inside of the housing;and a back cover that is fitted from a back side of the housing andsandwiches an entire periphery of the rubber sheet with a steppedportion formed inside the housing, wherein the printed circuit board isstored in a space between the back cover and the rubber sheet, whereinthe discharge hole is located in a lower portion of a space between aninner surface of the housing and the rubber sheet, and wherein a bottomportion exists between the discharge hole and the rubber sheet.